Are dating apps to blame for an increase in STDs?

Some disturbing news about STD infection rates recently came out of Rhode Island via the state’s department of health. A survey conducted by the department revealed that from 2013 to 2014, cases of syphilis rose by 79 percent, gonorrhea by 30 percent and HIV by almost 33 percent.

In the report, the department stated that they believe this is reflective of a national trend. They also warned that even though infection rates are up across the board, new cases of HIV and syphilis continue to increase among gay and bisexual men at a faster rate than in other parts of the population.

One of the contributing factors in this increase, cited by Dr. Rosemary Gillespie, chief executive at the UK-based Terrence Higgins Trust, is the rise in dating app usage (like Tinder and Grindr) over the past five years and users engaging in casual and often unsafe sex, saying “Dating apps have given people more opportunities to meet potential partners than ever before, and we are currently looking at their impact on gay men’s sexual health.”

Whether gay, straight, bi, meeting in person or on an app, safer sex practices always need to be part of the discussion.

No word on whether or not researchers have been able to find a correlation between STD increases and abstinence-only sex education.